Ecological Differences in Weight, Length, and Weight for Length of Mexican American Children in the WIC Program

PURPOSE.  Examine factors common in the environments of children who obtain services from a WIC program to determine if differences in ecological/environmental factors can be found in the children who differ in weight , length , and weight for length.
DESIGN AND METHODS.  Cross-sectional study of 300 children , 100 each who were stunted , normal weight for length , or overweight. Instruments used were NCATS , ARSMA II , 24-hr diet recall , and Baecke Activity Questionnaire.
RESULTS.  Significant differences were present in children's diet , parents' BMI , parents' generation in United States , parents' activity levels , and maternal–child relationship.
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.  Encourage parents to adopt family approaches to encourage normal body size in children.     

Translation,adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for use in cross‐cultural health care research: a clear and user‐friendly guideline

Rationale, aims and objectives The diversity of the population worldwide suggests a great need for cross‐culturally validated research instruments or scales. Researchers and clinicians must have access to reliable and valid measures of concepts of interest in their own cultures and languages to conduct cross‐cultural research and/or provide quality patient care. Although there are well‐established methodological approaches for translating, adapting and validating instruments or scales for use in cross‐cultural health care research, a great variation in the use of these approaches continues to prevail in the health care literature. Therefore, the objectives of this scholarly paper were to review published recommendations of cross‐cultural validation of instruments and scales, and to propose and present a clear and user‐friendly guideline for the translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for cross‐cultural health care research. Methods A review of highly recommended methodological approaches to translation, adaptation and cross‐cultural validation of research instruments or scales was performed. Recommendations were summarized and incorporated into a seven‐step guideline. Each one of the steps was described and key points were highlighted. Example of a project using the proposed steps of the guideline was fully described. Conclusions Translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for cross‐cultural research is very time‐consuming and requires careful planning and the adoption of rigorous methodological approaches to derive a reliable and valid measure of the concept of interest in the target population.     

Health Consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse

PURPOSE. This article provides a summary for advocacy, court testimony, assessment, treatment, prevention, and further research studies in the field of childhood sexual abuse. FINDINGS. A literature review identifies the psychiatric, social, and disease disorders to which this population is predisposed. Adult survivors experience more depression, obesity, autoimmune disorders (irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, fibromyalgia), eating disorders, and addictions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. A holistic perspective allows understanding of health consequences for survivors. A model through which to consider these phenomena is presented. CONCLUSIONS. The long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse must be assessed and addressed by healthcare professionals.